Before me, both Vanessa and D sat on the large armchairs, side by side. She, too, had snoozed off while D’s intense stare was poised on me. I didn’t mind it though, because as he observed me, I observed him too. I could still see the fear he’d felt when the crawler attacked me carved onto his features, and my chest hurt in response.
Much like Dante, he was tormented by the fact that neither of them had been able to get to me, to protect me.
Sadness fiercely coiled along my wolf and me at the notion. I hated that Dante and D had to witness that happen to me, because as confused as I was by the whole, “having three mates” situation, I couldn’t deny how strongly D made me feel. A storm raged behind his eyes like he wanted to say so much but didn’t think he should.
“What are the crawlers,” I asked, bringing him out of his self-imposed torture.
Blinking, D took a disturbed breath. “They are humans who were forced-fed Vampire blood on the brink of dying. Not enough to turn them, only to make them addicted to it.”
“They don’t give it to them fresh either, so it will only heal them enough to keep them on the edge of death while the process is completed,” Vanessa finished for him, waking up. “Our blood is more powerful when fresh from our veins.”
“Blood slaves,” I whispered, horrified, to see Vanessa painfully nod.
“They were created by the losing side of the Vampiri War, while they still held power over the human world. Unfortunately, some of their loyal followers still don’t accept theDracul Dynastyor the countess as their one and only ruler,” D explained.
My forehead deeply furrowed. “Do you think they are the ones who sent the crawlers after me?”
Dante and D exchanged an apprehensive look, increasing my puzzlement. “We can’t be sure yet.”
“But what could they possibly want with me?”
“We don’t know… but we are going to fucking find out,” D hissed.
“We are almost there, my lord!” Ralf announced from the front, where he flew this thing, and everyone turned to glance out the window.
“You should see this,” Dante whispered, kissing my cheek, and helping me sit upright.
“What is that?” I gasped, taken aback. I’d never seen anything like it, at least not out of one of those picture books I saw when I was a child.
“It’s calledHeart Island,” D answered with a small smile, apparently liking my reaction. “We are inAlexandria Bay. New York.”
“Andthat,” Dante added, “is the Viscountess’ castle.”
Holy shit. That was a real-life castle. “Like the ones kings live in?” I asked because that was the extent of my knowledge.
“Just like that,” Vanessa offered. “I love this place. I wish we could live here full time.”
My attention returned to the island to find a winter wonderland.
Snow covered the grounds and leafless trees, much like it did at the mountain, making the branches seem as though they carried fully white flowers of ice. It also sprinkled over the castle standing tall against the sky, a building unlike anything I’d ever seen, not even in the picture books.
It was entirely built of cream-hued rectangular stones—bricks, I thought they were called—and the multiple triangular tops that formed its roof were an orangey-red, allowing thecastle to beautifully contrast against the sea blues and winter whites that surrounded it.
Snow also adorned the spires and towers of the castle, blanketing the reddish roof and the many structures that extended through the land.
The island was exclusive to the castle, which told me we would be safe there. Although other smaller islands were fairly close, they were far smaller than this, and the closest solid piece of land was a good few miles away.
“The castle’s staff lives in those,” Vanessa explained as I regarded the smaller islands with houses. Though even the “smaller” houses seemed huge.
Anastasia’s island, however, was perched in the middle of the bay, as though it was the most important there. A few boats were parked around the harbor area, as well as a bunch of smaller open structures that almost seemed like a market. It had beautiful large gardens, parks, and smaller bridges throughout the space.
We tilted right as the helicopter flew around the castle once—with Ralf identifying himself through the radio and asking permission to land. The maneuver gave me a great view of the entire fortress's surroundings before we began to descend toward a stretch of land marked exactly like the roof of the building had been.
Dante stood first, helping me to my feet while Ralf turned everything off and opened the door, setting the stairs down for us. I turned to help Isis, but she sat up on her own, seeming fully healed and clearheaded. Thankfully, Dante had left her good as new at last.
Glancing up at him, eternally grateful, I pulled him down by the lapels and stood on my tiptoes, placing a kiss on his pouty lips. His eyes sparked to life for the first time since the attack, loving my gesture.
“Come on, baby girl.” Isis nudged me, guiding us down the path and away from the loud, hair-blowing blades.
